February 10, 2013

NEW TRACK: Uela - "Before There Was You"

There are some songs – and some artists – that you need to listen to more than once (or twice, or thrice) to really appreciate. And then there are those songs that catch you off guard the moment you press play, tracks that are just so harmonious and catchy that you find yourself instinctively snapping to the beat. Uela’s new track, “Before There Was You” is just that: easy listening at its finest.

Not to say that it sounded easy to make – Uela Basco, Dan Gil and Ryan Armamento did an excellent job of maintaining the musical integrity on this smooth and simple track. The beat is a nice backdrop for Uela’s smooth, soulful R&B vocals, and the song in its entirety is a versatile backdrop for several situations – from sitting on the beach with a beer in hand to driving home late from a long day at work.

Uela’s voice steals the show on the track, though, as she channels female R&B when it was a relatively new genre (Think Brandy or Keyshia Cole), albeit with a distinct Filipina flavor. It’s raw at times, but her voice is everything it needs to be, at least for R&B – butter-smooth, relaxing, expressive, and easy on the ears. via Joey Gutierrez